Ippone Aeiste (Leusitane Light Cavalry)
The Caetrannan Epones are light cavalry par excellence. Skilled riders with well-trained mounts that are the envy of many foreign armies Description The Caetrannan Epones may strike at any time. Using the terrain they know so well in their homeland they patiently await the ideal moment to strike, and then, with the signal from their leader, they attack. A thunder of hooves, a hail of iron-tipped javelins and they are gone, only to reappear from another quarter. Again and again the harry in this manner until the enemy, fearful and demoralised, break formation, whereupon the Epones strike home, unsheathing sharp swords and parrying their foes blows with the small round shields that give them their name, they ride down their enemies without mercy. The Caetrannan Epones are light cavalry par excellence. Skilled riders with well-trained mounts that are the envy of many foreign armies, they should be used to scout, harass and demoralise with missile attacks and brief charges to the flanks and rear of any formation. Protracted melees should be avoided, as their light, quilted armour, small caetra and light weapons leave them at a disadvantage against better protected opponents. It is the combined advantages of speed and manoeuvrability which make them a deadly unit in the hands of a skilled leader. Historically, Appian made frequent references to the "swift horses" of the Lusotannan. He describes how Viriathus, a Lusotannan chieftain, was able to hold off an entire Romani army for one day with just one thousand cavalrymen via the use of repeated attacks and withdrawals. The Romani cavalry were unable to catch them "by reason of the weight of their armour, their ignorance of the roads and the inferiority of their horses". The Lusotannan horses were very well trained, to the extent that contemporary authors mention that they could even go down on their knees to hide in forested areas as part of an ambush. Prior to the EB start date, it is probable that Lusotannan horseman used their mounts mainly for transport, preferring to fight on foot in battle, but this method of combat began to evolve, partly as a result of socio-economic changes in Lusitania, and partly because of external influences from Karthadast. Punic generals, impressed by the discipline and skill of Iberian cavalry, employed them as mercenaries in great number. Hannibal's crushing defeat of the Romani at Cannae is due partly to the speed and ferocity of his Iberian cavalry. Later Romani commentators spoke highly of Iberian horsemen, although their repeated descriptions of the "cowardly" and "barbaric" hit and run tactics of Iberian cavalry may conceal the fact that peoples such as the Keltiberoi, Ilergetes and possibly the Lusotannan could more than hold their own in a pitched battle where steadiness, discipline and courage were required. The Caetrannan Epones were most likely men with sufficient wealth from land or stock ownership to keep a mount and arms, but whose social status was not sufficient for inclusion in the personal mounted guard of their dux, or military leader. Their offensive weapons would have consisted of javelins and a sword, while defence would have been provided by a quilted tunic and the small round shield known as the caetra, which provided effective protection in the hands of a skilled user and was ideal for the tactics of rapid movement, concealment and surprise favoured by the Lusotannan. Category:Units Category:Units available only in EB2 Category:Arevaci Category:Lusotannan